429th Air Refueling Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 429th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing
, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
. It was inactivated on 8 Oct 1963.
to provide dedicated in flight refueling, initially for F-100 Super Sabre
s and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC fighter and fighter bombers. Initially equipped with transferred Strategic Air Command
KB-29M Stratofortrresses that were converted to aerial tankers using a British-developed hose refueling system.
Re-equipped with KB-50 Superfortress in 1958 which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified about 1960 to KB-50J configuration which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft.
By 1963 aircraft were phased out due to age and being replaced by SAC KC-97 and KC-135s; squadron inactivated in late 1963 when KB-50Js sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. Its last was assigned to the 4505th Air Refueling Wing
4505th Air Refueling Wing
The United States Air Force's 4505th Air Refueling Wing was an Air Refueling unit located at Langley AFB, Virginia. It was established on 1 Jul 1958 at Langley AFB, Virginia. The 4505th was the only aerial refueling wing in the Tactical Air Command structure. The wing flew the KB-50J, a derivative...
, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It was inactivated on 8 Oct 1963.
History
Established in 1954 by Tactical Air CommandTactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
to provide dedicated in flight refueling, initially for F-100 Super Sabre
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
s and later for other in-flight refueling capable TAC fighter and fighter bombers. Initially equipped with transferred Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
KB-29M Stratofortrresses that were converted to aerial tankers using a British-developed hose refueling system.
Re-equipped with KB-50 Superfortress in 1958 which provided greater speed to refuel jet aircraft. KB-50s were modified about 1960 to KB-50J configuration which added a J-47 turbojet engine underneath each wing in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the speed of the aircraft.
By 1963 aircraft were phased out due to age and being replaced by SAC KC-97 and KC-135s; squadron inactivated in late 1963 when KB-50Js sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan.
Lineage
- Established as 429th Air Refueling Squadron on 1 Jul 1954
- Activated on 15 Jul 1954
- Inactivated on 8 Oct 1963
Assignments
- 405th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 19 Jul 1954
- 4505th Air Refueling Wing4505th Air Refueling WingThe United States Air Force's 4505th Air Refueling Wing was an Air Refueling unit located at Langley AFB, Virginia. It was established on 1 Jul 1958 at Langley AFB, Virginia. The 4505th was the only aerial refueling wing in the Tactical Air Command structure. The wing flew the KB-50J, a derivative...
, 1 Jul 1958-8 Oct 1963
Aircraft
- KB-29M SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, 1954-1958 - KB-50/KB-50J SuperfortressBoeing B-50 SuperfortressThe Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, 1958-1963